Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure concerns firearms. More particularly, the present disclosure concerns systems and methods for coupling various types of firearm accessories (e.g., sling mounts, bipods, vertical grips, handstops, sights, scopes, lasers, and other optical aiming devices) to a firearm.
Description of the Related Art
Firearm users have long desired ways to flexibly enhance the functionality of stock firearms. As a result, modern day firearms like the AR-15 and M-16 often feature an accessory rail capable of coupling to one or more accessories such as a vertical grip, handstop, flashlight, or sling mount, to name a few. In most firearm designs, the accessory rail is either coupled to or permanently integrated with the barrel, upper receiver, handguard, or forestock of the firearm. The most well-known accessory rail is the Military Standard 1913 Picatinny Arsenal rail, commonly referred to simply as a “Picatinny rail.” Although the Picatinny rail is still commonly used today, firearm designers have also begun producing other types of rails, including modular external accessory rails. One such modular external accessory rail is the KeyMod™ rail designed by Eric Kincel and VLTOR Weapon Systems of Tucson, Ariz.
To date, firearm users have typically coupled firearm accessories to accessory rails by using a traditional “screw and nut” method. When using the traditional screw and nut method, a user may align threaded holes in the accessory with a corresponding hole, groove, slot, or other opening in the accessory rail. There are several ways in which the accessory may be installed before it is secured in place by the screw and nut. After having aligned the accessory with the rail, the user may place a screw in each threaded hole and tighten the screw until it compresses the accessory against the rail. The tension applied by the compressed screw and nut holds the accessory in place against the accessory rail. Some versions of the traditional screw and nut method use screws and conventional KeyMod™ nuts.
Other methods of coupling firearm accessories to accessory rails utilize slide-on mechanisms. In many cases, the top of the accessory contains a groove into which the bottom edge of a correspondingly shaped accessory rail slides. When using the slide-on method, a user may slide the accessory onto the rail. After doing so, the user may effectively “lock” the accessory in place to prevent further sliding along the rail. In many cases, the user may do so by tightening a “screw-core” locking mechanism that runs through the accessory. When tightened sufficiently, the screw-core protrudes from the accessory into a corresponding hole in the accessory rail. Having been fitted within the hole in the accessory rail, the protruding portion of the screw-core then impedes any further movement of the accessory along the rail.
A similar method relies on a rotatable accessory body. When using the rotatable body method, rather than sliding the accessory into a groove in the accessory rail, the user rotates the body of the accessory onto the edge of the rail before locking it into place using a screw-core mechanism. Another method features a thumb knob in place of the screw discussed above, while yet another requires the use of moveable clamps or throw-lever tensioning devices to hold the accessory in place against the accessory rail.
Although adequate in some scenarios, each of the above methods suffers from one or more limitations. Some are less than optimal because they require the use of coupling mechanisms that feature numerous moving parts (e.g., the screw and nut method). When coupling mechanisms feature numerous moving parts, they are more costly to manufacture and ultimately more expensive to purchase as a consumer. The use of many moving parts also increases the likelihood of mechanical failure. Other methods are sub-optimal because they rely on coupling devices that, after having been installed, protrude from the firearm and risk getting snagged on clothing, equipment, or other nearby objects. Other methods are limited in their usefulness simply because they are inconvenient and/or difficult for users to perform. Given such limitations, there is a need in the firearm community for improved systems and methods of coupling various types of firearm accessories to a firearm.